In the end, Yuji simply could not resist these children. He spent the entire afternoon on the school's training grounds.
He simultaneously supervised and observed their training, treating all the children equally and focusing on each one's current developmental issues, explaining things in careful detail. He also gave each of them guidance on what to work on after school hours. Only when school finally let out did he manage to extract himself, utterly exhausted by the experience.
"Lord Kazekage, here."
At this moment, a clean-looking, somewhat slender, pale-faced boy came running up with a cup of water from somewhere.
"Thank you," Yuji said, reaching out to accept it and patting the boy on the head.
The boy was Haku, and he was considered a relatively prominent member of the Sand Village's newer generation. His mother was currently occupied with Shimizu managing many affairs related to the Land of Rain reconstruction.
Shimizu's last return to the village had been for Yuji's wedding. The two of them were the kind of family that rarely saw each other throughout the year. Now it was just Haku and his mother relying on each other.
Even though the biological father figure in Haku's life had become someone entirely different from the original story, whether Haku himself was still the same person as the original story's Haku remained uncertain.
But the appearance was similar enough. The temperament, on the other hand, was very similar to the original. One could only admire how powerful certain genetic traits were. Haku still had something of a delicate girlish look, with long hair and a very gentle personality.
Except for the white hair.
Kimimaro, Jugo, and Kankuro had not gone home either. Kimimaro and Jugo were staying at the orphanage so there was no rush. As for Kankuro, like Haku and the others including Yashamaru and Rasa, he had matters to attend to elsewhere. Rasa was away from home most of the year. Temari had gone ahead specifically because she wanted to take over from Yashamaru in looking after her younger brother Gaara.
Still surrounding Yuji were several Uchiha clan children.
"You all performed well today. I hope you will become pillars of the Sand Village in the future," Yuji said, generously encouraging them.
"Of course! I will definitely make Lord Kazekage proud of our Uchiha clan!" A young boy rubbed his nose and made a solemn vow.
"Good. I will remember that. If you fail to live up to it in the future, do not say I did not warn you."
"It is a promise!" The boy patted his chest, full of confidence.
"I have heard that the Uchiha clan of Konoha is very strong," another child muttered.
"They are them and we are us. Do not lump us together. My father came here before and left Konoha, naturally there were reasons for that. My mother is from the Sand Village, so I am naturally a Sand Village person. Our clan here has no branch family or main family distinction," Uchiha Ren said with some heat.
Hearing this, Yuji smiled and did not interrupt.
The Sand Village also had six members of Hyuga clan bloodline among the newer generation, all descendants of the Hyuga defector lineage.
"Good. In my eyes, all of you are the best."
"Ren, even if you take pride in your bloodline, you must train hard. Otherwise be careful not to be surpassed by others," Yuji teased.
"Understood," Ren nodded with a slight bow.
Shortly after, several Uchiha clan children and some of the other younger kids departed. Among them was Kankuro, who had been unusually listless all afternoon and had barely spoken a word throughout.
His performance during training had been rather poor today, especially in front of Lord Kazekage. This had left him looking somewhat deflated as he left.
Worth mentioning was that Deidara had not been seen at any point during the entire afternoon. According to the teacher, that child had quietly slipped away somewhere and made a habit of skipping class regularly.
In the end, only Kimimaro, Jugo, and Haku remained.
"Come on, I will walk you back to the orphanage," Yuji said, patting Kimimaro on the shoulder with a soft smile.
For Kimimaro and Jugo, the Kazekage was not the distant and untouchable figure he seemed to other children. Their level of familiarity with Yuji was clearly incomparable to that of the other students. Haku was the same.
Yuji's tone with them was noticeably different from how he spoke to the other children.
"You two have not been spending much time at the orphanage lately. As you gradually grow up, you are becoming young men. You must learn to live independently and look after yourselves," Yuji said, walking down the street with the three children beside him, smiling.
"Are you not finding it difficult?"
"Jugo and I can take care of ourselves now. Actually, we no longer really need the aunties from the orphanage to look after us. Better to let them save their energy for those who still need it," Kimimaro replied.
"Those younger ones are actually better behaved than us," Kimimaro replied with a light laugh.
These were not words one would expect from a six-year-old boy. Kimimaro's precocious mental maturity was evident in every sentence.
Jugo, on the other hand, showed a silly grin and said nothing. Clearly Kimimaro's words represented both of them. He had taken Kimimaro as his leader in all things.
"This is what an excellent Sand Village ninja should look like," Yuji gave Kimimaro a thumbs up.
Then he looked at Jugo.
"You have not been falling behind in your recent practice, have you?"
"No," Jugo said.
He was clearly only six years old but looked like a child of eight or nine. His frame was not particularly large yet, but his size was increasing rapidly.
"Are your classmates afraid of you?"
"No, everyone gets along very well," Jugo said with a smile.
"Good. If someone ever treats you in an unusual way, you should bravely tell them that your physical condition, while special, is not a disease and certainly not a bad thing."
"It is a gift from the heavens. That is what I, the Fourth Kazekage, am telling you officially."
"Your body has the ability to help others. It simply has not fully matured yet."
"As long as your emotions remain stable, nothing bad will happen."
"The friends at the orphanage and the aunties there all genuinely like you," Yuji said with a warm smile.
"It is alright, Lord Kazekage. I understand them," Jugo said.
Jugo was shy and reserved in nature. His personality was not just honest and kind. Perhaps due to his young age, he was also somewhat quiet and introverted. But whether someone was truly a friend or not was not something that concerned Jugo particularly.
Because Kimimaro was enough for him.
These two clearly shared a certain kind of bond, a sense of shared understanding that had been present since they first met. Jugo was deeply influenced by Kimimaro, who was quite grown up for his age and carried a somewhat precocious quality about him.
"Lord Kazekage, I will be going now."
"Kimimaro, Jugo, see you tomorrow."
After bowing slightly, Haku waved goodbye to his two friends and headed home.
Yuji continued walking with Kimimaro and Jugo a little further until they reached the orphanage.
Bang.
But at this moment, a noise came from another part of the street. The commotion was not particularly loud, like someone setting off firecrackers.
"Deidara, stop right there!"
"Hmph! Someone who cannot appreciate my art at all, without a single artistic cell in his body. Who wants to go back to school with you for class? Simply unbearably boring."
"Deidara!!!"
"I would rather go back to the Stone Village and figure things out there. That place is more suitable for me than this place. Unlike the Sand Village where everywhere you look it is just sand, sand, sand. Honestly enough already!"
Amidst the chaotic noise, Yuji heard a familiar voice.
Then he saw a small blond-haired boy out on the street, rushing forward and occasionally hurling powerful clay projectiles behind him while shouting at full volume.
Yuji's expression darkened.
"Baki."
"Lord Kazekage."
"First, take Kimimaro and Jugo back to the orphanage."
"Yes."
Baki glanced at the furious Deidara not far away and shook his head quietly. Then he led Kimimaro and Jugo away.
...
STONES 💎
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